Take a peek into my life...My likes, loves, and dislikes. Books are one of my favorites, this is where you will see what I think of what I have read, be it good or bad. Among other things that I may want to discuss.

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Friday, August 26, 2016

The Wishby Beverly Lewis is another awesome Amish story told by one of the best Amish story writers, in my opinion.

A story of close friendship between two girls, Leona and Gloria, that feel as sisters and wish that they were. Even after Arkansas Joe, Gloria's father moves her family far away in the middle of the night, they find their way back to each other and their friendship, and wishes start coming true.

Gloria is torn between her family and the world, English ways, or what her heart tells her is right, the Amish way of life that they lived before leaving Lancaster County. Torn between and old Amish beau, Orchid John and a new English boyfriend Darren, which will win her heart.

When Gloria contacts Leona, to come for a visit, she decides to go, praying that she can help her sister/friend. While her beau, Tom wonders if he should be concerned because Leona is going so far away to visit Gloria and her family who are now English.

I highly recommend this to anyone that loves the Amish stories, or is a Beverly Lewis fan, you will not be disappointed.

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from the publisher Bethany House and NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Jesus Talked To Me Today by James Stuart Bell is an inspirational book full of stories of children's encounters with angels, miracles, and God.

I was captured from the very first page, each chapter is only a few pages long and tells a different child's story. This book brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face as I read these children's stories. A fast read inspirational and uplifting, has been added to my favorite books.

One of my favorites is 'Giants in the Land' where 3 children were met everyday after school by bullies wanting money from them. Until their family prayed with them about it and asked God to send his angels to protect them. And that is EXACTLY what he did!

A 15 year old boy who has stage 4 cancer - my favorite quote from this chapter
"With His single touch, my terminal disease recoiled. He alone stilled my storm with one command."

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book, you won't regret reading it.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Now That It's You by Tawna Fenske starts with Meg going to the hospital to forgive her cheating ex-finance who she hasn't saw in 2 years, they were together for 10 years before she left him standing at the alter. Once arriving at the hospital she runs into Kyle who surprises her with an unwanted and unexpected outcome.

Meg and Kyle's paths keep crossing. With Matt out of the picture their relationship grows. Until Meg's cookbook takes off in sales and Matt's family wants a share of the profits.

I was hooked from page one in this book and couldn't put it down until finished. Although there is some language in it that might offend some, I enjoyed the book.

I received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) from NetGallery and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Angels : Who They Are, What They Do, and Why It Matters by Jack Graham is an interesting book on the topic of Angels. I always loved the TV show - Touched By An Angel starring Roma Downey, which showed guardian angels always helping people. Roma Downey writes a beautiful forward to this book as well.

The author uses scripture as well as true life stories to explain Angels and who they are and what their purpose is in this book. Broken up in four parts,
1. The Wisdom of Angels as You Start the Journey
2. The Protection of Angels as You Sustain Life's Blows
3. The Encouragement of Angels as You Soar on Eagle's Wings
4. The Presence of Angels as You Stay the Course With Christ

No we shouldn't idolize them, but LEARN from them. As they watch over us, protect us, and teach us to worship God! I loved this book and highly recommend it to others who also would like to learn more about Angels.

I received a FREE copy from Bethany House in exchange for my HONEST review, rather it be bad or good.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Anxious Christian : Can God Use Your Anxiety For Good? by Rhett Smith starts out with the author telling of his own anxiety when younger, and how God uses it and him.

I've always thought badly of my anxiety but the author has given me hope with this book, and how God can use me.

One of my favorite quotes from the book says..."It is ok to be anxious, but don't hide and bury those anxieties in hopes that they may somehow get better or completely disappear. They won't. Instead, choose to face them and allow God to grow you in the process. It is an act of courage you will not regret." page 88

Doesn't that say a lot? It has gave me hope that even though I have anxiety, God can still use me if I open up and let him guide me. I enjoyed reading and learning from this book and would recommend it to others who may also suffer from anxiety.

I received a free copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore was such a joy to read and get lost in the old love stories as Cassie Danvers tries to find out her grandmother's secrets. June, Cassie's grandmother has passed away leaving Cassie with a crumbling old mansion Twin Oaks, full of ghosts that visit with Cassie nightly. Are they trying to tell their story?

The story takes us between now and the year 1955 and what took place when several movie stars, including Jack Montgomery were in St. Jude, Ohio filming a movie. Did Cassie's Grandmother really have a secret affair with the famous Jack Montgomery? If so why was everything kept so secret?

A story of love, and family secrets, full of suspense and passion.
I highly recommend this book full of twist that will keep you guessing throughout.
I received a FREE copy from NetGallery and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review .

Monday, April 11, 2016

The Atonement by Beverly Lewis is about an Amish girl, Lucy Flaud who does volunteer work trying to atone for mistakes that she has made in her past. Her Daed, Christian, is also grieving over the same thing, only for different reasons.

Tobe Glick is Lucy's lifelong friend who is in love with her and wants to court her. Lucy doesn't feel worthy of his love, will she ever overcome this feeling of quilt that weighs her down?

I'm a HUGE fan fan of Amish books and Beverly Lewis is an awesome author of such.
This is a heart-warming story about love and forgiveness. And being able to forgive one's self.

I did enjoy this book, just not as well, as some others by the same author.
I received a FREE copy of this from Bethany House and NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.

Today God Wants You to Know. . .You Are Lovedby Laura Wegener is a great little devotional full of God's promises for us. I extremely enjoyed reading these devotions which are great reminders of God's love for us, using different subjects. Each one with scripture to back it up. This could be read in one setting, or as a daily devotional.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is..."Eliminating stress strengthens our bodies - and God likes it when we take care of ourselves and relax!"
This is something that I need to remember and work on myself!

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from the publisher and NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Eternity: Understanding Life After Death byTony Evansis a short, although very informative book based on biblical scripture on what we have to look forward to after death. Depending on rather we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior or not. I've found myself drawn to so many of these type books lately, after sitting by Mother's bedside, and watching her suffer, as she was dying from cancer.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is...
"we are in the land of the dying on our way to the living" page 7
I love that and it is so true!

Pastor Tony Evans has used biblical scripture to describe both Heaven and hell. He also explains how to know that you are on your way to Heaven. This is a quick read and easy to understand, for anyone.

This is something we can't afford to get wrong, eternity is a long time! I have both family and friends that believe I am nuts for my believes. But if I am wrong about God, I have only wasted my life, if the non-believers are wrong they have wasted ETERNITY! It is each person's right to choose for themselves their path and where they want to spend eternity.

Another quote from this book that I loved regarding this topic says...
"Forever is too long to miss Christ. Eternity is a long time to suffer torment and the pain of regret. For Christians, this life is the only hell they will ever know. But for non-Christians, this life is the only Heaven they will ever know." page 12
Gives you something to think about doesn't it?

PLEASE I ask all of my family, friends, and even people I don't know, give this some thought on where and how you want to spend eternity.
I highly recommend this book to everyone, for like it or not, we all are going to spend eternity somewhere. It is up to each of us to decide where that will be.
I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for honest review on this book

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Surprised by the Healer: Embracing Hope for Your Broken Story by Linda Dillow and Dr. Juli Slattery is FULL of stories told by nine brave women who have found healing from the Healer.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is...
"There is nothing too broken for God to heal" page 13
Isn't that beautiful and so true? If we will turn it over to Him.

The authors use Biblical scripture along with nine courageous women who tell their stories of hurt, pain, heartache, etc. and how He has healed each of them. Women who have been sexually abused, physically abused, cheated on etc., they all gave it over to God.

Another great quote...
"Scars remind us where we have been, but they do not have to dictate where we are going" page 89
I love this one, as everyone has scars of some type, some hidden, and some not. But our Lord can heal them all.

I'm thankful for every brave woman that shared her story for this book to written, and to the authors. It is a book I'm glad I chose to read. I recommend it to all women.

I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Who Are You to Judge?: Learning to Distinguish Between Truths, Half-Truths, and Lies by Erwin W. Lutzer shows how to judge according to God's word, without being judgmental.

Today's world says so many things are ok that God says plainly in His word isn't ok. The question is who do you listen to? The world or the word of God? As for me, I want to make Heaven my home, this world is just a stopping place until HE calls me to come home. So I will follow His word, the Holy Bible, to lead me on the path to home.

With Chapters titled..

1. Why Are We Afraid To Judge?

2. Judge Not,That You Not Be Judged

3. When You Judge Doctrine

4. When Judge False Prophets

5. When You Judge Miracles

6. When You Judge Entertainment

7. When You Judge Appearances

8. When You Judge Neopaganism

9. When You Judge Ghost, Angels, and Shrines

10. When You Judge Conduct

11. When You Judge Character

Pastor Lutzer explains, using Biblical scriptures, what God has to say on each of these subjects compared to what the world has to say on them.

Some of my favorite quotes from this book are...

"The love with in the church attracts the world; the holiness within the church convicts the world." page 29

"Even Jesus did not change the world through miracles but through HIS suffering." page 97

"Let's ask ourselves some hard questions: Are we satisfied with the way we spend our time last year? Let's evaluate the return of our investment for the number of hours we sat in front of the television set during the last twelve months. Did the time spent make us a better person? Did it improve our character? Imagine what we would be like if we had spend all that time, say, reading our Bible" page 134

"We must clean up our own act before we can help others" page 135

"Yes, as have learned, there are times when we must judge, but let us be sure to judge ourselves first" page 207

You may not agree with everything the author has to say, but I personally think he brings across some very great points taken from the Bible, that show us how to judge without being judgmental. Showing how we should live according to the word of God.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians

I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review, rather it be good or bad. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book, it is one I will be returning to again.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Between Pain and Grace: A Biblical Theology of Suffering by Gerald W. Peterman, Andrew J. Schmutzer answers questions according to the Bible and what God has to say about this subject. When I first started this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it but what an eye-opener it is!

I was very interested in reading this, as I watched my Mother who was dying with cancer, as she suffered and the pain she endured. And as for myself I have suffered many things throughout my lifetime. I am now living with chronic pain. So yes you might understand why this is a book I would be quite interested in.

The authors take us on a journey through the Bible to show us how God is in pain himself. How it must break the heart of God to see how the people he has created behave so badly toward each other and destroy the earth he made for us to enjoy. Let's not forget how Jesus suffered for ALL of us, so that we can one day make Heaven our home. Who are we to expect any less suffering or pain than our Father in Heaven and our Savior?

With chapters titled...

1. The Grammar of Suffering : Basics of Affliction In Scripture
2. The Relational Ecosystem of Sin and Suffering
3. The Suffering of God
4. Emotions and the Suffering of Jesus
5. Longing to Lament : Returning to the Language of Suffering
6. Suffering and Redemptive Anger
7. The Lord's Prayer : Suffering, Prayer, and Worldview
8. Leadership and Tears
9. Joseph's Tears: Suffering From Family Toxins
10. Sexual Abuse : Suffering a Host of Betrayals
11. Inner Darkness : The Unique Suffering of Mental Illness
12. Suffering and God's People : Community, Renewal, and Ethics
13. The Metanarrative Renewed

The authors use Biblical scripture to explain pain and suffering to us in each chapter, along with thoughts and questions at the end to get us thinking for ourselves.

One of my favorite quotes from this book..."Focus on your healing, not the politics of being a victim"

I highly recommend this book to both Christians and Non-Christians alike.
I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from Moody's Publishers and NetGallery in exchange for my honest review, rather it be good or bad.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Heaven and the Afterlife: The Truth about Tomorrow and What it Means for Today by Erwin W. Lutzer caught my attention as I sat at my Mother's bedside while she was fighting her battle with cancer.

There are three books combined into this one book...
1. One Minute After You Die
2. How You Can Be Sure You Will Spend Eternity with God
3. Your Eternal Rewards

The author uses scripture to let us know what Jesus has to say on these subjects. This book is a very LOUD wake-up call for everyone. Full of information on what the BIBLE and JESUS tell us waits on the other side. We can't change our mind after having arrived, we must do that here. The author lets us know, by using scripture, how to KNOW where we will spend eternity.

This can be both an encouraging book for Christians, or scary for non-believers when you get a glimpse of what awaits.
I highly recommend this book to everyone as I want to see everyone in Heaven someday.

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from Moody Publishers & NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The Counselor by A.W. Tozer is a straight-forward book talking about the Holy Spirit.

You will find no sugar-coating here, only straight talk on what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. The author uses Bible scripture to show you what the Lord has to say about the Holy Spirit. We all need this closeness with the Holy Spirit that God wants us to have.

Some of my favorite quotes from this book...

"I believe that it might be well for us if we just stopped all of our business and got quiet and worshiped God and waited on him." page 72

"All He wants is for us to yield, obey, open our hearts and He rushes in and our lives are transformed and changed!" page 76

"honor Christ and the Holy Spirit will honor you" page 139

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is one that I will find myself returning to I am sure.
I received a FREE copy from Moody Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Renovating The Richardsons by Virginia Smith is a fun enjoyable read. I haven't read any other books in this series but still totally enjoyed this fun book. I will be reading the other books in the series now, as I have fell in love with these characters!

Set in a small town in Kentucky with quirky characters a fun enjoyable book. Millie and Al are renovating their bed and breakfast. Everything that can go wrong does. Lots of fun and humor in this story.

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from NetGallery in exchange for my review.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

21 Seconds To Change Your World : Finding God's Healing and Abundance Through Prayer by Mark Rutland is a powerful book showing a new way to look at The Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm. The author shows how using the two of these daily can restore your soul.

Examining both and who they came from as well, Jesus and David and how they relate to each other. He goes in to an in depth study of both, I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to give it a try in my own life. For I know that prayers are answered, miracles can and still do happen. What better way to pray then how Jesus taught us?

I highly recommend this book
I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Natural Hair Coloring: How to Use Henna and Other Pure Herbal Pigments for Chemical-Free Beauty by Christine Shahin Wood is a great book telling ways to safely color your hair using natural ingredients vs chemicals.

With Chapters titled...

Why Color Your Hair?
Basic Understanding of Hair Coloring
The Four Pure Herbal Colorants
How To Use Herbal Colorants
Wrap Styles
How To Take Care Of Hair Colored With Herbal Pigments
Frequently Asked Questions

The author covers everything, telling how to use natural ingredients and your natural hair color to get the color desired. Coloring your hair doesn't have to be done with chemicals, I'm glad to learn this!!

I started graying early (in my late 20's) way to young to look so old! I started using over the counter hair colors to cover my gray, but totally dislike the chemicals and what they are doing to my hair. I'm a lot older than that now, which means that I have been using chemicals for way to long on my hair! I was VERY HAPPY to see this book, and can't wait to try a more natural approach to covering up my gray, which I still don't want.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that colors their hair or is thinking of coloring their hair.
Look for this book on the shelves in May 2016

I received an ARC (advanced reader's copy) from NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.